20 Things You Didn't Know About Raiders Of The Lost Ark
19. The Film Could Have Turned Out Very Differently
It's common knowledge that Tom Selleck nearly played Indiana Jones. Watching Selleck's audition wearing the iconic fedora hat makes you wonder how different the franchise would have been with him in the role.
But here's the thing... that was one change. There were HUNDREDS of changes. When Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and screenwriter, Lawrence Kasda,n originally met to discuss the story that would become Raiders of the Lost Ark, they concocted tons of ideas. They had five sessions, each lasting about nine hours, to discuss characters, the plot, and cool action sequences.
At one point, Spielberg said he wanted Indy to be a martial artist who defeated his enemies with kung fu. Spielberg also wanted a scene where Indy knocked over a llama (George Lucas politely shut this idea down.) Their entire conversation was transcribed on a 125-page document which can viewed online.
While reading the transcript, it's interesting how a lot of ideas that weren't used were repurposed for The Temple of Doom including a mine cart chase, Indy riding down a snowy mountain with a sidekick, and Indy using a gong to hide from gunfire.